


Of Flocks and Fires

by JustAndrea



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Animals in Peril, Danger, Fire, Gen, because Batman's always gotta save people, even his enemies, temporary team-up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 02:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13515240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: His birds have always been loyal to him, so of course the Penguin is going to be loyal to them in return, no matter what the peril. Good thing he has a certain masked vigilante helping him out...





	Of Flocks and Fires

**Author's Note:**

> As a Penguin fan, I’ve been wanting to write this one for FOREVER, and I’m finally getting around to it. Plus, I've just always liked how he cares about his birds so much, so I wanted to sorta write a story around that too. Anyway, hope you all enjoy it!

Gotham was hardly ever quiet. Every resident of the city knew this, not just the heroes and villains. Even during the peaceful nights there was still plenty that could happen to disturb the usual atmosphere of cars speeding by, people living their busy lives, and the occasional gunshot or police siren. 

Even during the quiet nights, it wasn’t wise to let your guard down in Gotham, and Batman knew this unspoken rule better than anyone. Anything could happen, so you had to always be ready for anything.

...This point was only further proven when he heard an explosion in the distance.

Narrowing his eyes, Batman looked for the source. Close enough to be heard, yet far enough away that he couldn’t start to see the damage of the explosion until smoke began rising from above the buildings, looking to be about several blocks away. Downtown, where - along with several possible targets such as a bank and some nightlife hot spots - certain popular ice-themed nightclub was located. A nightclub with plenty of enemies, thanks to it’s infamous owner…

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Batman took out his grapple and shot it towards the nearest rooftop. 

By the time he arrived at the Iceberg Lounge, most of the guests were already outside, shaky and afraid but otherwise unharmed and trying to call 911. It would still be a few minutes until the fire department arrived, so he had to do what he could in the meantime. Determination and already prepared for what awaited him inside the burning building, Batman landed on the ground. He then covered his face with his cape the best he could, and ran inside.

Many people - mostly the staff - were still inside and running towards the exit as fast as they could. Understandably, not even a man dressed as a bat could slow them down. So, he had to physically stop someone.

“Do you know if there’s anyone trapped?” he asked an older gentleman - a member of the kitchen staff, if his uniform was any indication.

“I, I-I dunno,” he answered, panting slightly, “T-The explosion happened in the backroom, which is pretty close to the kitchen. We were all pretty disoriented at first but, I-I think we all made it out of there.”

Batman nodded, and let the man go. He would still probably check the kitchen if he had time, just in case. He didn’t want to leave anyone behind, not if he could help them.

“HEY!” a voice shouted through the smoke. Batman ran forward, and nearly ran into a couple of the lounge’s Iceberg Ladies. They certainly looked shaken, with soot on their faces and one of them leaning on the other thanks to a slight burn on her leg, but otherwise they were fine. “Y-You’re here to help people get out of here, right?” one of the ladies asked, “Not to, to arrest anyone or anything?”

While he knew Penguin didn’t have too many friends, it didn’t surprise Batman in the least that his employees cared about him. Penguin may have been a criminal who claimed to hate humanity and the society that shunned them, but there would always be a part of them who longed to be liked and admired. Hence, he was always treating his employees with respect and giving them plenty of benefits, in hopes that they would respect him back without needing to fear him like with other people and fellow criminals he associated with. It was just a ‘classier’ way of doing things.

“Just tell me where they are and I’ll make sure they get out safely,” Batman told them, his strong voice a promise, “Did you see anyone trapped or hurt?”

“No, not trapped. Most-” She coughed, covering her mouth. “M-Most people started running as soon as the explosion happened a-and the alarms went off but-”

“But Mr. Cobblepot!” the other woman interrupted, looking so panicked that she nearly gave herself a coughing fit, “M-Mr. Cobblepot’s still in there! He- W-We tried to help but, but he told us to go!”

Gently taking the more stable woman’s hand, he led them through the smoke and to the exit. “He’s right, you two do need to get out of here, and I’ll make sure your boss makes it out of here too. I promise.” Turning back to the smoke and the flames, he narrowed his eyes. Thankfully, while there was still plenty of fire, the second floor remained mostly stable, so he wouldn’t have to worry about debris blocking his path, at least for the moment.

“Thank you, Batman!” he heard the women call out. “He should still be by the pool!” “Please, help him!”

“Alright-!” The masked hero paused, wondering if he heard that right. The pool? He would’ve thought Penguin would’ve been in the backroom hoping to save some of the stolen items he had been planning on selling (you can’t exactly claim insurance on black market items). Even being up in his office collecting important paperwork would make more sense.

Still, Batman didn’t stop to question it for long, he just kept moving. He had a time limit, and if he wanted to keep his promise, every second counted. 

The smoke was getting thicker as the flames got higher. Somewhere in the distance, he heard a second, smaller explosion go off. He prayed it wasn’t near a gas pipe… “Penguin!” Batman shouted, squinting through the smoke, “PENGUIN!”

There was no answer… So either Penguin was ignoring him, he had already gotten out… or it was too late. Whatever it was, Batman wasn’t one for guessing. He wasn’t going to turn back until he knew for sure, so he picked up his pace. He could hear the roof start to crack and splinter, he needed to hurry!

As he went further and further into the club, he began to see something poking up through the smoke. Something… white. Something that almost shimmered in the light of the flames. He could also start to hear the sound of squawking above the roar of the fire.  _ The pool… _ Getting out his flashlight from his utility belt, Batman rushed forward.

“Penguin!” he called out again, and while he heard no direct answer, he did still hear the bird-like gentleman’s voice. 

“Come on now… Please, it *cough* i-it’ll be alright…” The Penguin also gave low squawks himself, keeping his voice calm despite the danger around him. ...Or rather, around  _ them _ .

Finally reaching the pool, Batman could now clearly see why the Penguin was trapped here instead of in his office or the backroom. He was crouching down near the pool, where his entire flock of penguins stayed either in the water or on the melting iceberg in the center, terrified of the flames. “Please, we must leave-!” Penguin told them in-between his squawks, “Please-!” He began to cough so hard that he nearly fell into the pool himself.

“PENGUIN!"

Still coughing slightly, the gentleman glanced over his shoulder, and glared at the vigilante. “O-Oh yes, just - *ack* just what I n-needed!”

“We need to get you out of here, now!” Batman tried to grab his arm, but Penguin shook it off, even managing to smack him in the chest with his umbrella.

“I’m not leaving un-until I’m sure they’re safe!” Penguin shouted at him before turning back to his beloved birds. He could see them looking at them, contemplating his orders. They were trained to follow his lead, they wanted to follow his lead! But at the same time, they were just too scared.

“If you really want them safe, then we’re going to have to force them to come out!” Batman told him, just before diving into the pool, despite any objections Penguin might have had. One by one, he grabbed the penguins as quick as he could, making sure to be gentle but still firm. This earned him quite a few bites in return, but he managed to ignore them. Occasionally, he would have to use rope or one of his nets just to slow them down, and while Penguin clearly wasn’t happy about this method, he didn’t argue. 

As soon as each penguin was brought to the edge of the pool, Penguin would hold them back, calming them down as best he could and keeping them from diving in again. He was even able to direct them towards the exit, leading the way for a bit just to make sure they could see the open double-doors ahead before going back to the pool and helping out the rest of his flock. 

This entire process took several minutes, and by this point the roof had started to break. Thankfully, they could start to hear sirens, and even saw some firefighters coming in. “Help my birds!” Penguin ordered, not wanting to take no for an answer, “There’s no other humans left in here, I assure you, so focus on getting them out!”

Not having much of a choice, the firefighters agreed and helped carry the birds out of the building while others began trying to actually fight the fires. 

“Okay-” Batman began to say as he surfaced, handing the penguin off to its owner before climbing out, “That’s the last of them.”

“Are you sure?!” Penguin asked as he gently stroked the bird, “You have to be sure!”

“I’m sure!” Batman shouted back at him, wincing as his wet body began to heat up once more, “Besides, we can’t stay here much longer, Cobblepot! If you want your pets to still have you, then we need to go!”

“Batman’s right!” the firefighter agreed, shouting over the flames, “The fire’s too strong! This place is going to go down any second!”

As if on cue, a huge piece of roof fell into the pool, nearly splashing them all. The penguin kept squirming and squawking, but Penguin just continued to pet it, knowing that letting it know its panic would just make things worse. He only coughed slightly as he looked both the fireman and his enemy in the eyes. “...In that case, you gentlemen can leave. But I still have one last stop to make, one that I should have made earlier.”

With that, he shoved the penguin into the firefighter’s hands before making a run for it, opening his umbrella as he did so in the hopes to use it as a makeshift shield. 

“Hey!” “Penguin!” Batman gritted his teeth. What else did he have to save?! He turned to the fireman. “Get it-” he pointed at the bird, who was starting to cough slightly as well thanks to the thickening smoke, making it impossible to even see the iceberg now, “-and yourself out of here! I’ll go after Cobblepot! Just try to keep the building standing for as long as you can!” He then added after a moment, “And make sure to call animal control! Someone who can make sure the birds are alright!”

Taking off his still-damp cape, he quickly put it over his head and ran off after the Penguin. Thankfully, even with all the smoke, Penguin was moving slowly, coughing along as he tried to find his way. He was easy to catch up to. 

“Cobblepot, if there’s something you need to save, let the firefighter take care of it!” Batman told him, grabbing his shoulder once more. 

Even as he winced, his body getting weaker and weaker, Penguin’s glare never faltered. “Absolutely not! They wouldn’t care about saving them, they wouldn’t risk their life for them! They don’t care! Only I care!”

“...” Of course. What else would he risk his life for? “You still have birds trapped in here, don’t you?” Batman asked.

Penguin nodded as he coughed. “Yes, o-ones that are probably scared to death! A-And if you want to save me, then you’ll get  _ me _ up there so I can save  _ them _ ! Or don’t, I don’t care! I can save them myself!” He managed to shake Batman off once more, only for the vigilante to grab him again.

But before Penguin could argue- “We have to hurry. So if we’re going to do this-” Batman got out his grapple, “We need to do it now!”

“...” Staring at him for only a moment, Penguin nodded. “R-Right. The stairs - and an opening to the second floor - s-should be just up ahead.”

“Right.” Pointing it in the direction Penguin gave him, Batman took aim the best he could and fired. He felt the grapple catch on something, and after giving a couple pulls to make sure it was sturdy, he offered Penguin his hand. “Grab onto me.”

He heard Penguin give an indignant and reluctant “wenk” to the order, but still did so anyway. Once he had a good grip on him, Batman pressed the release button, and they flew upwards. 

Being able to see a bit better now as they rose above the smoke, Batman swung them onto the staircase - which in turn nearly collapsed right from under them! 

“Hold on!” Batman shouted, yanking Penguin up the stairs with one hand and grabbing the top of the second floor with the other. Thankfully, despite his continuing coughs, Penguin managed to keep going, making it to the top just before their path collapsed. “I hope your office has a window…” the hero mumbled, glancing back at the rubble now behind them.

“O-Of course!” Penguin coughed, already moving down the hall as fast as he could, “Now come on!”

Penguin’s office was at the end of the hall, closed and locked up. There was still plenty of smoke and they could feel the floors weakening with every step, but at least there wasn’t as much actual fire. Once they reached the door, the two temporary allies simply rammed it and forced it open, knowing they didn’t have the time to bother with keys and trying to unlock it.

And as soon as they opened that door, all Batman could hear was chirping. Chirping and squawking and crying and shrieking, all coming from a single cage in the back of Penguin’s office that was nearly as big as an entire wall of the room. There were dozens of birds of all different shapes, sizes and breeds. It was almost enough to knock him back, but Penguin only pushed forward. 

“I know, I know,” he told them, trying to shush them, “I’m here, a-and we’re going to get you out-!” Wheezing now, he tried fiddling with the opening mechanism, giving a slight whimper as it burnt his fingertips. The birds continued to cry as they flew around the cage, the bars too hot to touch. Some of them also sat on the bottom of the cage, the smoke already having an effect on them…

_“Damn it all!”_ Penguin cried out as the slightly mechanism continued to remain in place, refusing to open. Batman could see tears start to form in the gentleman’s eyes. Whether it was out of frustration and fear for his pets or because of the pain in his fingers and the smoke in his eyes, Batman couldn’t say for sure. 

“Here-” Batman rushed over to the cage, a small saw from his belt in hand. They needed to work fast. The heat was still rising, and more flames were sure to follow. Even parts of the office floor were starting to crumble beneath them. 

So, Batman began cutting off bars of the cage. Penguin would then grab them and pull them off, tossing them to the side. When they finally had enough of an opening made for the birds, Batman moved over to the window. “Brace yourself!” he yelled out. Penguin nodded, already having his umbrella out in front of himself and the cage. 

The vigilante took a couple steps back, brought his arm back, and threw a bat-a-rang right at the center of the glass. There was a shatter, followed by another chorus of frantic squawks as the oxygen rushed in, feeding any flames that were near the room and making the heat rise even hire.

“Go! Go!” Penguin ordered as he stepped aside, and this time his birds had no problem following his orders. In a blur of feathers and colors, the birds flew out of the cage and straight out the window, never hesitating and never looking back. ...Unfortunately, there were still those who were too weak to fly.

Even as his lip quivered slightly at the sight, Penguin knew he didn’t have the time to be gentle. So, taking off his top hat, he grabbed each bird that sat (or laid) at the bottom of the cage and shoved them into his hat. Batman helped as well, using his cape to help carry some of the birds. And finally, once all his pets were accounted for, Penguin activated the helicopter mode of his umbrella. “Here!” he said, shoving it into Batman’s hand as he took his cape (and the birds) from him.

Understanding, Batman once again grabbed hold of Penguin, and once he was sure he had a good grip on the umbrella, they both jumped out the window, their bodies illuminated by the seemingly infinite flames behind them..

As they floated down, Penguin glanced back at his building. A total lost cause, but he shed no tears for it. He only gave a single sigh, holding his hat and the cape of his enemy - holding his precious flock - even closer to him now.

It would take a while to rebuild this particular nest, but he would survive. 

_ They _ would survive. 

()()()()()()()()()()

“I’m tellin’ ya, Commissioner, this has arson written all over it!”

“I don’t know, Bullock. Sure, the Penguin’s done some shady business in the past but-”

“Exactly! I’m tellin’ ya, for a criminal lookin’ for some easy cash, even a place as nice as this starts lookin’ like a stack of firewood.”

“I know, for most criminals. But this just doesn’t seem like his style-”

“You’re right, Commissioner.” The two men turned, with Detective Bullock giving the vigilante a glare as he stared back at them. “It’s not his style,” Batman agreed, “And even if he was willing to do this to a place he was proud of, you’re missing one key detail, Detective.”

“Oh yeah?” Bullock sneered, crossing his arms, “And what’s that?”

“If he was planning on burning the place down, he would have made sure his birds were somewhere safe first,” the Dark Knight explained.

Gordon gave a small hum, nodding. Bullock however still didn’t look convinced. “Seriously? That’s your big piece of evidence? Birds? The guy probably has those insured too! He could just buy new ones if he really wanted to! What-?”

“Even criminals have things they care about,” Batman said simply before walking away, ignoring the scoffs he heard from Bullock. He could care less about any argument the hot-headed detective had, he needed to start his own investigation into the Iceberg Lounge fire.

...However, before he could do that, there was still one last thing he wanted to check up on. 

While the fire trucks and ambulances were long gone, replaced with police cars, the Gotham Animal Control truck was still there. All twenty penguins stood in a group, keeping close to each other - safety in numbers, after all - as well as staying near their owner. Speaking of which, Batman could see that Penguin had once again abandoned the oxygen mask that had been given him, despite his voice still being weak and riddled with coughs and wheezes.

No, he would be fine. For the moment, he wanted to focus on keeping his birds calm. A couple of them had been able to fly off after getting enough oxygen. Others were resting on Batman’s cape, laying down while their burnt, cream-covered feet began to heal. Still, most were just sitting in Penguin’s hat or on his shoulder, listening to the man gently coo and squawk at them as he stroked their ruffled feathers wanting them to stay calm - to know that he was there. His monocle was missing, no doubt lost in the panic of the fire, and his clothes were a mess. But for once, he wasn’t focused on his appearance or how he looked to others and their damning opinions.

It was a strange sight, but a peaceful one nonetheless.

“...I suppose you want your cape back, hm?” Penguin asked once he noticed the vigilante coming his way. 

Batman said nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time he lost a cape while out on patrol, he had plenty of others. So instead, he made a comment of his own. “I don’t see your other birds near here. I take it that you’ve got a tracking device on them?”

To Batman’s surprise though, Penguin shook his head. “Not unless I’ve sent them out on a scouting mission I don’t. Besides, they only flew off because they were scared. Because they wanted to find somewhere free of smoke and noise. They’ll come back eventually. They’ll find me again, they always do.”

Penguin then turned towards his shoulder, harshly coughing into it. Crouching down, Batman picked up the oxygen mask and handed it to him but Penguin refused, only finally taking a few breaths from it when Batman forced it into his hand. 

“...They trust me,” he continued, closing his eyes. “Always have... Always will...” He could see his mother’s house. His mother’s birds, how beautiful they are were. He always made sure to feed them and give them plenty of time outside to stretch their wings, and they always allowed him to pet them. Always making every lonely moment or every heartache feel insignificant, always listening to him and liking him for who he was... “And I will always protect them, no matter what. Frankly, it’s the least I could do for them.” For the creatures who never mocked, and who truly understood him. 

Batman said nothing. He only looked up at the sky, clearer now with no smoke to try and smother it, yet its stars were still muted thanks to the lights of the busy city. He tried to spot any passing birds, but none could be found. But the Penguin wasn’t worried, and neither was he. They would return eventually. 

The Penguin was a lot of things. Batman had seen him being cruel and murderous many times over despite his attempts to be a member of society. Would he ever change? Batman could hope, but he didn’t know for sure. For now, he was still a criminal, his shady deeds and illegal business deals hidden behind a public persona and a ice-themed lounge now in rubble. 

Penguin was a criminal, but even so- “For what it’s worth,” Batman told him quietly, his eyes never leaving the sky above them, “I’m sure they think they’re lucky to have you too.”

The bird-like gentleman said nothing in return. He just continued to sit, occasionally giving a quiet call or squawk or cough, surrounded by his birds and looking the most content that Batman had ever seen him. 

He still had his loyal and loving birds - his _true_ friends. And as long as he had them, Oswald Cobblepot knew he would be just fine.

**THE END**


End file.
